Understanding Science Cartoons
(Developed by Gary Carlin. Edited and Revised by Bart Bookman) Science cartoons have been finding their way onto many Regents exams. More importantly cartoons can be used to help students develop and demonstrate meaning of what they have learned. Reading, writing, and understanding science cartoons is a very complex process that requires students to have appropriate scientific background and the ability to make analogies with both written and visual material. For many of our students, it is essential that they have a model they can follow when they try to see the humor in science-based cartoons. There are 10 basic questions that can be used with any science cartoon. 1. Identify the characters and their position in the frame. 2. Identify the other objects/organisms in the frame. 3. Describe the actual action of the characters. 4. Relate the cartoon situation to a real life, human situation. 5. Read the cartoon caption/dialogue. 6. Based on the caption/dialogue, determine other objects. 7. Explain caption/dialogue using the cartoon frame. 8. Is there a pun(s) in the caption/dialogue? 9. Explain the cartoon using the real-life, human situation. 10. Explain why the cartoon is “humorous.” Cartoons can also be used as motivators to jump-start lessons or as summarizers to check for understanding at the end of the session. Project one using the overhead and ask students, “How does this relate to a biology concept?” Alternatively, give students a copy of the cartoon without its caption and ask them to write an appropriate one. Cartoons by Gary Larson and Sidney Harris provide an especially rich source of material for motivators and summarizers.
Let’s examine few cartoons and see how these apply.
B. Bookman and L. MaitlandThe NYS Biology-Chemistry Mentor Network, DDE Title II, FLCC, 2002
1. Identify the characters and their position in the frame. A possible paramecium(Protist) on the couch – single cell, nucleus, cilia, long shape A possible di-flagellate(Protist) on the chair – single cell, nucleus, flagella at one end 2. Identify the characters and their position in the frame. Small picture hanging on a nail on the wall Small single line circles Larger double line circles 3. Describe the actual action of the characters. Paramecium is laying down on the couch and is talking Protist in chair is writing on a pad. 4. Relate the cartoon situation to a real-life human situation. A psychiatrist taking notes while listening to a patient’s problem 5. Read the cartoon caption/dialogue. “I don’t like living under a microscope.” 6. Based on the caption/dialogue, determine other objects Small picture may be medical school diploma Small and large circles may be small and large air bubbles on a slide 7. Explain caption/dialogue using the cartoon frame.
B. Bookman and L. MaitlandThe NYS Biology-Chemistry Mentor Network, DDE Title II, FLCC, 2002
Paramecium is telling other Protist that he/she does not like living under a microscope (on a slide with a cover slip)
8. Explain caption/dialogue using the cartoon frame. Not applicable 9. Explain the cartoon using the real-life, human situation. People feel that their every move is being watched This creates a lot of stress They go to a psychiatrist to help them deal with the stress 10.Explain why the cartoon is “humorous.” Even a paramecium living under a microscope can be stressed by being watched. The stress has caused them to see a protist-psychiatrist. Let’s try another. This one was on a Regents exam.
1. Identify the characters and their position in the frame. A male archeologist standing on a rock A female archeologist standing on a rock 2. Identify other objects/organisms in the frame. A skeleton of a human with a hat and a bag A skeleton of a small animal (dog?) with its mouth around the leg of the human 3. Describe the actual action of characters. Archeologists are observing fossils 4. Relate the action of the characters to a real-life human situation. Archeologists may find fossils in the wall of a rock 5. Read the caption/dialogue
B. Bookman and L. MaitlandThe NYS Biology-Chemistry Mentor Network, DDE Title II, FLCC, 2002
“What a find, Ms. Dinkins! … It’s a mailman, all right – but remarkably, this specimen if fully intact, with the Canus nipponicus still attached.”
6. Based on the caption/dialogue, determine other objects. Not necessary in this cartoon 7. Explain the caption/dialogue using the cartoon frame. The archeologists have found a human skeleton (a mailman with his bag and hat) and a small animal (a dog) The dog is attached to the leg of the human They are surprised to find the two sets of complete fossils for both organisms 8. Is there a pun(s) in the caption/dialogue? The species name of the dog, nipponicus, comes from the word “nip” which means a bite. The fossilized dog is biting the fossilized mailman’s leg The dog is still attached to the mailman’s leg. This is unusual since fossils usually break apart over time. 9. Explain the cartoon using real-life human situations. Mailmen are bitten by dogs. 10. Explain why the cartoon is “humorous.” The idea that there were prehistoric mailmen and they were also bitten by dogs The fact that there would be fossil evidence to support the negative relationship between mailmen and dogs.
Try doing this one.
1. Identify the characters and their position in the frame. 1 amoeba driving an ambulance 2 amoeba holding a stretcher 1 square-shaped amoeba on the stretcher 3 amoeba above the stretcher 2 amoeba below the stretcher
B. Bookman and L. MaitlandThe NYS Biology-Chemistry Mentor Network, DDE Title II, FLCC, 2002
2. Identify other objects/organisms in the frame. Small circles and double rings 3. Describe the actual action of characters. 2 amoeba putting a square-shaped amoeba into an ambulance 2 amoeba below the ambulance are talking to each other 4. Relate the action of the characters to a real-life human situation. A person is hurt and is being put into an ambulance 5. Read the caption/dialogue “My gosh! … Look at that guy!” “I think he may be sick.” 6. Based on the caption/dialogue, determine other objects. Small circles are air bubbles on a slide 7. Explain the caption/dialogue using the cartoon frame. The normal, irregular shaped amoeba are watching the not-normal, square shaped amoeba being put in the ambulance and are commenting on how bad the situation is. 8. Is there a pun(s) in the caption/dialogue? Not applicable. 9. Explain the cartoon using real-life human situations. People gather around ambulances to see what is happening. People comment on how it looks. Some people become ill at the sight of injured people. 10. Explain why the cartoon is “humorous.” Amoeba are generally irregular in shape, so be to perfectly square is quite abnormal. Perfect square-shape is the result of a bad accident. Or perhaps the amoeba was “squished’ between a slide and a cover slip. Here are five more cartoons – see if you can make sense of them while using the model.
B. Bookman and L. MaitlandThe NYS Biology-Chemistry Mentor Network, DDE Title II, FLCC, 2002
B. Bookman and L. MaitlandThe NYS Biology-Chemistry Mentor Network, DDE Title II, FLCC, 2002